Recently one of my author clients was featured on FOX News Boston. Before he  was interviewed on camera he was nervous but was able to recall the media  training that we put him through a few weeks earlier. That, along with a pep  talk, and he was good to go.

What about YOU? Are you ready to be interviewed by local or national TV? If  you’ve not had media training, believe me it’s too late once you get the call.  You may have to get in a car or on a plane within an hour’s notice. It’s too  late to get the training then. That’s why you need to be prepared before you get  the call.

My experience as a publicist has convinced me that one of the greatest  concerns about being interviewed on television is what to wear. For radio or  newspaper interviews, fashion doesn’t matter but how you appear is critical for  TV. When my clients agree to media coaching, my first choice for them to work  with is TJ Walker, CEO of Media Training Worldwide.

TJ Walker is one of the leading authorities on media training in the world.  With more than 20 years of media training experience, Walker has trained  thousands of CEOs, authors, and experts, including leading government officials  in the United States, European Prime Ministers, and African diplomats.

Here’s a quick list of “What to Wear and Not Wear!” that TJ Walker and other  media coaches have developed that I share with you now so you can look terrific  for your TV interview.

1. Don’t wear white, black or red. White glows and becomes the most  noticeable thing on the TV screen. Black is too harsh and can suck up all the  light. Reds “bleed” on camera and are distracting.

2. Pastel shirts work well on TV.

3. The safest color on TV is blue.

4. Don’t wear dangly earrings. They distract.

5. Remove jewelry that moves, makes noise, or could hit your microphone.

6. Be wrinkle-free.

7. Don’t wear stripes, herringbone, small intricate designs, or flashy  jewelry. They are hard for a TV camera to pick up on.

8. Don’t wear checks.

9. Dress in a simple, boring manner, unless you are a fashion designer.

10. TV viewers should focus on your face and what you say, not your  clothes.

11. Men should have about an inch of their shirt cuff showing.

12. Avoid light colored pants.

13. Wear over-the-calf socks so your skin doesn’t show if you cross your  legs.

14. Don’t wear more than one ring per hand.

15. Women shouldn’t wear short skirts if you want people to focus on your  message.

16. If you wear a dark shirt, dark suit, and dark tie, you will look like you  are auditioning to be a hit man on the “Sopranos.”

17. Vests look stuffy on TV.

18. Don’t wear stripes. They dance around on the screen and are  distracting.

19. Avoid hair products that add shine.

20. No visible logos or companies or brands, except for your own company  logo.

21. People shouldn’t judge you by your appearance, but they will.

22. If you do or wear anything distracting on TV, people will remember that  and nothing you say.

Clothes are the major factor in controlling how you appear to viewers. While  appearance is critical for success on television you also must be concerned  about the words that come out of your mouth, the knowledge you display, and the  self-confidence you demonstrate. Media coaches like TJ Walker and marketing  experts like myself will make sure you are fully prepared for your big day!

The bottom line: RELAX, you’ll do fine. The butterflies you’re feeling are  what will drive you to do your best! Remember, it’s not like they are going to  ask you the square root of 656! They’re asking you about your book, your  company, your story which you obviously know. Just follow these helpful tips,  talk things over with your publicist and you’ll look as good as you sound.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=R._Scott_Lorenz

Why is this a problem? (to read the complete article, CLICK HERE.)

Thinking Skinny by Nadia Giordana  (available at Amazon.com).

The 3-volume documentary Journal, 10,000 Days In Alaska, by Norman Wilkins (available at Amazon.com, books sold individually).

No Thank You, I’d Rather Be Myself by Nadia Giordana (buy the paperback book or get it in hardcover)

Cloud 9 Publishing /CNP  – (formerly River Muse Press/RMP Books)

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Let’s face it, if you decide to self-publish, or even if you get a small press publisher (like us) to handle the mechanics of getting your book into print, you will have to do the lion’s share of the marketing and promotional work yourself.

That being said, we are including links here to the some of the best informational articles on the Internet as we find them.

288,355 Books published via traditional publishing.

764,448 Books published via non-traditional publishing. Non-traditional means print on demand, reprints and public domain.

Total Books Published In 2009: 1,052,803.

To read more of the original article this info came from, CLICK HERE.

One of the best ways for a writer/author to keep a solid footing, is to become involved in local and national conferences and networking organizations. Example: this weekend, I participated in the Bloomington Writer’s Conference and Book Fair in Minneapolis. It was a great experience, though I wish I could have attended more workshops. I did however, have the opportunity to give a 10-minute, televised reading from my book, Thinking Skinny. (I’m not sure when or where it will be aired, but if I can get the clip, I will post it here at the blogsite.) Overall, I learned a lot and loved the one-on-one interaction with the public, talking about my book, and especially getting to know dozens of local writers and publishers.

–Nadia Giordana

Two organizations I can suggest: Midwest Independent Publisher’s Association (MIPA) and the Independent Publisher (IPPY) Book Awards.

• 132 million book manuscripts are submitted to publishers each year (roughly 3,000 per day according to Nielsen Bookscan). Less than 1% are accepted for publication.

• 7% of all books published generate 87% of total retail bookstore sales.

• only 1,187 titles sell 50,000 or more copies.

• only 24,000 books had sales of over 5,000 units.

• a shocking 93% of all books published sell less than 1,000 copies.

Source: Book Industry Study Group. Another report put it this way: Of the 1.2 million titles tracked by Bookscan in 2006, only 2.1% sold more than 5,000 books, 16.6% sold fewer than 1,000, and a terrifying 79.6% sold fewer than 99 copies. Holy cow! With odds like this, it’s a wonder anyone tries. The key (for small publishers and self-publishers) is not to follow the herd, not to emulate the big boys, and not to be discouraged.